Playing attachment for musical instruments.



E. T. TURNEY.

PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED 3.23, 1908.

1 1 3 1 ,878, Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

2 BHBBTS-SHEBT 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS Co. FHOTO-LlTHD-, WASHINGIUN. D. c

E. T. TURNEY. PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.23, 1908.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

(ILL 2 4x ERS 60.. PHom-LITHa, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE T. TURNEY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR- T0 ARTISTA PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF MILAN, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PLAYING ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed April 23, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE T. TURNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing Attachments for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to playing attachments for musical instruments wherein there is employed a plurality of pneumatics for operating the piano actions and a pneumatic motor for shifting the music sheet or record, the pneumatics and the motor being operated by exhausting the air therefrom. In instruments of this character it is customary to place the pedals for operating the exhaust mechanism in the position occupied by the fortissimo and other pedals of the ordinary piano. These pedals generally require both feet of the op erator, and it is one of the principal objects of my invention to provide improved fortissimo mechanism and means under the control of the hands of the operator for operating said fortissimo mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means of this character which will be simple, durable and reliable in construction and effective and efficient in operation.

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating the embodiment of my invention, and in which Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a piano having an attachment applied thereto constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the hand operated mechanism for controlling the fortissimo mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the present exemplification of the invention is shown applied to an ordinary up- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Serial No. 428,782.

right piano, of which the casing is designated by the numeral 20. Supported within the casing in any desired or suitable manner and above the keys 21 thereof are air ducts or channels 22 which are adapted to be exhausted through a suitable chamber 23 which connects the extremities thereof by means of a suitable suction device or exhaust mechanism to be hereinafter described, which is connected or has communication with the chamber 23 by means of the tubular member 24.

Supported by and having communication with the air ducts or channels 22 is a plurality of independent pneumatics 25 for operating the piano actions and these pneumatics 25 are adapted to be exhausted through their connection with the chamber 22, which connection is effected by primaries actuated by atmosphere admitted through the tubes 26 from the apertures 27 in the tracker board 28 in the well known manner, so that when the perforated record or music sheet 29 passes over the tracker board, the pneumatics 25 will be exhausted through the air ducts or channels 22.

The specific construction of the pneumatics and the manner in which they oper ate the piano action form no part of the present invention and are therefore not illustrated in detail.

Supported within the casing of the instrument is a frame 30 which serves as a support for the tracker board 28. Journaled within the frame 30 is a record supporting roll 31 which is located on one side of the tracker board and a record receiving roll 32 which is journaled on the opposite side of the tracker board and adapted to receive the record from the roll 31 as the record is fed across the tracker board. A gear wheel 33 is operatively connected to the record receiving roll 32 and this gear wheel meshes with an elongated pinion 3a which is supported by a flexible shaft 35 so that when the pinion 3 1 is in engagement with the gear 33 and the shaft 35 is rotated the roll 32 will be rotated to feed the music sheet or record 29 from the roll 31. A stub shaft 36 is loosely supported by a partition 37 in the frame 30 and is provided with a bearing 38 on one end in which one extremity of the roll 31 is journaled. A movable upright member 39 is supported in the space between the partition 37 and one of the end members of the frame 30 by means of the flexible shaft 35. The upper end of the member 39 is provided with a slot 40 into which projects a pin 41 secured to the frame 30 so that when the shaft is flexed to move the pinion 34 out of engagement with the gear 33, the member 39 will be bodily moved toward the partition 37. A clutch member 42 is operatively related to the free extremity of the stub shaft 36 and journaled in the 1 member 39 is a stub shaft 43 which supports a clutch member 44 adapted to co operate with a clutch member 42 so that when the member 39 is moved toward the partition 37 the clutch members will lock the stub shaft 43 for rotation with the shaft 36. Motion may be imparted to the stub shaft 43 by means of a sprocket chain 45 which passes over a suitable sprocket on the shaft 35 and a corresponding sprocket on the stub shaft 43, and this sprocket chain 45 serves as a means for rotating the roll 31 when the pinion 34 is moved out of engagement with the pinion 33 and when the pinion 34 and gear 33 are in mesh the clutch members 42, 44, will be separated and motion will be imparted to the roll 32.

A motor designated generally by the reference numeral 46, is provided for operating the shaft 35 and this motor preferably comprises a plurality of pneumatics 47 which are connected respectively to cranked portions 48 of a suitable shaft 49 to the end of which is secured a gear wheel 50, which has engagement preferably through an intermediate gear 51 with a gear 52 supported by the shaft 35. The pneumatics 47 are adapted to be successively exhausted through a chamber 53, suitable tubular members 54, 55, which latter have communication with the suction or exhaust mechanism hereinafter referred to, and through an equalizer designated generally by the reference numeral 56 located between the motor 46 and the exhaust mechanism and with which the tubular members 54, 55 have communication. This equalizer may be of any suitable or desired type best adapted for the purpose and needs no particular description except to say that the parts thereof are inclosed within a suitable housing and in this housing is a controlling valve 7 0' which may be operated from the front of the casing. This equalizer also has a governing pneumatic 73, the eifect of which, when the motor is operated for rewinding, is neutralized by any suitable mechanism, such as a rod 113, this rod being actuated by the mechanism such as rod 119 which controls the rewinding operation of the motor.

Any suitable or desirable means may be used for operating the valve 7 0, such for instance as a lever 97 which is pivoted at 97' to one of the air trunks 22, and which has its upper end connected to a rod 94 extending to valve 7 0 The lower end of lever 97 is actuated through a crank shaft 100 by a rod 99, the latter being connected by suitable means to a detachable key 108 which is operable from the front of the piano casing. The rod 119 previously referred to operates the shaft 35 through mechanism 118 for shifting said shaft as heretofore described, and this rod extends downwardly to suitable operating mechanism 127 accessible from the front of the casing. As previously explained, the trunks 22 are connected to the exhaust mechanism through the tubes 24 and 133. A valve 134 is interposed in this connection for the purpose of controlling the action of the exhaust mechanism on the trunks 22, particularly during the rewinding of the record, and this valve may be operated by a shaft 137 which is journaled in bearings 138 and which has one end 142 connected to the operating mechanism 127. The other end of the shaft is connected to the valve through the medium of link 136. The exhaust mechanism in the structure shown comprises in general a primary bellows 129 and supplemental bellows 144, 145. The primary bellows communicates with the pipe 55, previously explained, through the chamber 130 and passage 131, and with the supplemental bellows through the passage or port 147 and passage 146, the latter being common to both of the supplemental bellows 144, 145. A pair of pedals 151 are provided for operating the bellows. These pedals operate the bellows through the medium of levers 152 which are pivoted at 153 to a suitable support. The pedals generally used in instruments of this character are foldable and are arranged in such a position that when they are unfolded and moved to a position for use they will cover or will obstruct the ordinary pianissimo and fortissimo pedals and in order that the fortissimo mechanism may be operated with this improved attachment 1 have provided improved means controlled by the hand instead of the feet of the operator.

My improved fortissimo operating mecha nism comprises a bar or lever 161, which is pivotally supported intermediate its ends by means of a fulcrum 162 located upon a fixed portion of the casing 20. Connected to one extremity of this bar or lever 161 is an upright 163 which is adapted to pass under and engage a projection 164 extending from the damper rod 165 which is supported entirely by the flange rail or key hp 166 so that when the lever 161 is moved to operate the rod 165 the dampers 167 will be operated in the usual and ordinary manner. A

suitable guide 168 in the form of a pin, which projects through a suitable aperture 169 in the forward end of the lever 161 is provided for guiding the lever and for holding the same in proper position. A bar or lever 170 is also pivotally supported intermediate its ends as at 171 and is arranged transversely of the bar or lever 161 and is preferably pivotally connected as at 172 to the free end thereof, so that when the lever or member 170 is rocked, the free end of the lever 161 may be raised or lowered to operate the damper rod 165. This lever or member 17 0 is arranged to extend longitudinally of the front of the instrument, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings and terminates preferably adjacent the bushing 177 in the front 107. A crank 173 is pivoted to a fixed support, such as a portion of the casing 20 and is connected to the free extremities of the bar or lever 170 by means of a lateral projection or pin 174: secured thereto and which extends into a slot 175 in the end of the lever 17 0. The crank 173 is provided with a socket 176 which is angular in cross section and which registers with the opening in a bushing 177 in the front 107 of the instrument. A key 178 similar in construction to the key 101 is adapted to be inserted through the bushing 177 so that the angular extremity 179 thereof will enter the socket 176 and when in position the key 17 8 may be rocked to operate the crank 17 3 and move the lever 161 through the medium of the intermediate connecting lever 170 for operating the fortissimo mechanism. Thus at any time during the operation or playing of a piece the fortissimo mechanism may be manipulated by operating the key 178 in the manner set forth.

What I claim is:

1. In a playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a. casing, fortissimo mechanism, a record, means for feeding the record, piano actions for playing the instrument, means whereby the movement of said actions may be controlled by the record, actuating mechanism entirely within the casing for operating the fortissimo mechanism, said actuating mechanism comprising two pivotal levers connected together, means connecting one end of one of said members to said fortissimo mechanism, a rocker arm connected to the end of said other lever, and a detachable key adapted to be inserted through the easing of the instrument into engagement with said rocker arm.

2. In a playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a casing, a flange rail, fortissimo mechanism supported entirely thereby, said mechanism including a damper rod having a projecting portion, a pivotally supported member below the rod and above the key bed, an upright on the member adapted to engage the projecting portion, and means under the control of the hand of the operator for rocking the said rod at will, said means including a pivoted lever connected at one end to said pivotal member and at the other end to a rocker arm, and a key detachably connected to said rocker arm from the outside of the piano casing and through the front thereof.

3. In a playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a casing, a flange rail, fortissimo mechanism supported entirely thereby, said mechanism including a damper rod having a projecting portion, a pivotally supported member below the rod and above the key bed, an upright on the member adapted to strike said projecting portion and actuate said rod, a guide for one end of the pivoted member, a pivotal lever connected to said pivoted member, a rocker arm for actuating said lever, and a removable key adapted to be connected to said rocker arm from the front of the casing in position to be under the control of the operator and adjacent the keys.

4:. In a playing attachment for musical instruments, a flange rail, fortissimo mechanism supported entirely thereby, said mechanism including a damper rod having a projecting portion, a pivotally supported member below the rod and above the key bed, an upright on the member adapted to engage the projecting portion, a guide for one end of the pivoted member, a second member pivoted intermediate its ends adj acent the key board and also adjacent the front of the instrument, said second member being pivotally connected by one end to the first said pivoted member, and means under the control of the hand of the operator for rocking the said second member at will, the last said means being separate from the second recited member and detachably engaging the same through the front of the instrument adjacent the key board.

5. In a playing attachment for musical instruments, a flange rail, fortissimo mechanism supported entirely thereby, said mechanism including a damper rod having a projecting portion, a pivotally supported member below the rod and above the key bed, an upright on the member adapted to engage the projecting portion, a guide for one end of the pivoted member, a second member pivoted intermediate its ends adj acent the key board and also adjacent the front of the instrument, said second member being pivotally connected by one end to the first said pivoted member, and means separate from the second said member and under the control of the hand of the opername to this specification, in the'presence of ator for rocking the said second member at two subscribing Witnesses, on this 10th day will, the last said means comprising a deof April, A. D. 1908.

tachable key adapted to be projected EUGENE T. TURNEY. through the front of the casing adjacent the WVitnesses: key board. DAVID SEARs, In testimony whereof I have signed my C. A. LIITT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

